This is his first time ever SEEING water!
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He needed to start small, but he'll be getting a larger pool soon. Placing him in deeper water may have frightened him and it was important that he entered all on his own- and he does! What a beautiful ending to what would have been a tragic and almost certain death for this beautiful creature.
DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE UPSET BY THE THOUGHT OF ANIMAL SUFFERING
But please continue if you can and spread this message. The more people that see minks as the wonderful animals they are and not a small part of someone's coat, the better place this world would be...
What Zodiac the mink's life would have been, if he had not been saved....
This mink was rescued from a fur farm where he was destined to die a horrible death. Minks are semi-aquatic and most of them will never be able to experience the simple joy of fulfilling their natural instinct to swim.
Upon hearing the word farm, most people imagine an picturesque scene: green hills, red barns, contented animals lazing in the sun.
But life (and death) on a fur "farm" is anything but idyllic for the foxes, mink, and other animals imprisoned there. Also disingenuously referred to as fur "ranches," these facilities are more akin to industrialized torture camps.
On U.S. fur farms, one of the most frequently used methods of killing animals is electrocution: the "farmer" puts a metal clamp in an animal's mouth, a metal rod in the anus, and sends a high-voltage current surging through the body. Sometimes the power surge forces the rod out of the anus, so the procedure must be repeated to kill the animal. Other commonly-employed techniques include homemade gas chambers, such as a box hooked up to a tractor exhaust pipe; lethal injection of various chemicals that kill through paralysis, which can result in immobilized animals being skinned alive; and neck breaking.
To cut costs, fur farmers pack animals into small cages, preventing them from taking more than a few steps back and forth. This crowding and confinement is especially distressing to minks—solitary animals. The anguish and frustration of life in a cage leads minks to self-mutilate—biting at their skin, tails, and feet—and frantically pace and circle endlessly and may result in cannibalism to escape the other minks. The minks are born and die this way. They are slaughtered every year in November to be processed for winter coats.
Minks are slaughtered every November to be processed for winter coats- but he will not be one of them. He will get to experiences all the joys of life. Thank you again to those that donated.
Want a mink of your very own?
Zodiac's owner has offered to help people rescue other minks from fur farms. She urges you to contact her at her web site: http://www.camelsandfriends.com for more information on how you can save a life next Spring.
Not sure where you'd put one in your apartment? You could always donate!
Next month Zodiac is being built a large outdoor natural enclosure. Her owner is has set him up an Amazon account to send him gifts (or more, well, expensive items- but hey if you have it- what better way to unload some cash).
Even if you aren't able to rescue yourself, your donations will help spread the word that minks are not something to be worn... they look far better in their own skin. Yay for Zodiac! We're so happy you made it out of there. One less mink put to death is a very good thing.
To send a gift to Zodiac and help with his ongoing care, check out his Amazon wish list here:
http://www.restarea1mile.com/camelsandfriends/contact.html
You can also find information on how to contact someone who can help you help them....
Annnnnd one more video. Cause he is just so darn cute. Alive... that is.
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Yeah! You get that dinosaur, you little ferocious ball of cute. He didn't even stand a chance.
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